What happens when you realize you're in a high-conflict situation? All too often, stepmoms get into their stepfamily only to realize their spouse's ex is way more high-conflict than they realized or that there is some pretty nasty parental alienation happening. That's exactly what happened to Maarit Miller and we're talking all about her experience and how it led her to start coaching others through similar situations. Maarit spoke at our recent Stepmom Summit (the Summit is over but you can still access the presentations for a few more days with an Ultimate Access Pass) About Maarit: Maarit h ..read more

Does High Conflict Coparenting Ever Get Better? That's what we're talking about in today's episode with CEO and co-founder of the High Conflict Institute, Megan Hunter, another "three-peat" guest (Episode 27 and Episode 59) and speaker at this year's Stepmom Summit (which is coming up April 25-28th - you can get on the waitlist for doors to open HERE).  Megan will give us a bit of a preview of what she and Bill Eddy will discuss when they appear together at the Summit in a few weeks - and, as always, some great tips for handling any high conflict personalities you may have in your life.&n ..read more

Is it possible to stepmom without losing yourself? That's what we're talking about in today's episode with relationship crisis coach Jessica Frew - a "three-peat" guest (Episode 29 and Episode 65) and speaker at this year's Stepmom Summit (which is coming up April 25-28th - you can get on the waitlist for doors to open HERE). And spoiler alert, Jessica has some great advice. About Jessica: Jessica Frew is a wife, ex-wife, mom, stepmom, and BOLD action taker. She has a successful podcast called “Husband in Law” that she records with her husband, Matt, and her ex-husband, Steve. Together they ar ..read more

Let's Get Comfortable . . . In Your Own Skin. Today's episode is about getting more comfortable in your own skin. Specifically as it relates to your partner’s ex and comparing yourself to her. This is something that I hear ALL THE TIME from stepmoms. And it can take various forms.  It can be overt, like wondering if your spouse thinks she’s prettier or smarter than you.  But it can also be sneaky and lead to even more insecurities, like when you wonder why your partner married her to begin with.  Whatever way it comes, you can find yourself down an unhealthy rabbit hole real qui ..read more

Are you a people pleaser? If so, this episode is for YOU. Our guest today has been here before, back on episode 61. And she recently published her first book, The People Pleaser’s Guide to Coparenting Well.  About Mikki: Mikki Gardner is a Certified Life and Conscious Parenting Coach, a mom, a speaker, host of the Co-Parenting with Confidence Podcast, and author of the People Pleaser’s Guide to Co-Parenting Well. Mikki’s personal struggles with divorce motivated her to become a “better mom” so that she could better help her son overcome the challenges of their new family dynamic. Dra ..read more

In today's episode, I'm answering your questions! I put out a call before the holidays for questions and boy, did you respond! I'm so excited to tackle these and hope today is just the first of many Q&A episodes.  Today's question is from Lauren, who wants to know if feeling like an outsider ever really gets better and how she can cope with it. If you've got a question you'd like me to answer, head HERE and ask away!  Links Mentioned In Today's Episode Submit a question to be answered on a future episode HERE Join the Stepfamily Circle HERE Are you enjoying The Stepmom Diaries? I ..read more

Today I'm talking to a veteran stepfamily coach and one of last year's Stepmom Summit speakers, Mindy Kyle. We are talking about how it feels when you realize you've gone from dating to the deep end of stepfamily life and feel like you are barely staying afloat.  Mindy has a wealth of experience in that very subject and some great insights for stepmoms who might be struggling right now. About Mindy Mindy Kyle is no stranger to the struggles that often come with the title of stepmom. She became a stepmom to 4 kids at the early age of 24.  Because of her struggles through her own stepm ..read more

In this episode, I’m talking to a rockstar in the influencer marketing world, but one who also happens to be a stepmom and has one of the best relationships with her stepchildren’s mom that I’ve ever seen. Sarah Boyd and I actually met sitting next to each other at a dinner hosted by a mutual friend, Susie Moore, in Miami. And the more I talked to her about her family life and what a rockstar she is, the more I thought, I’ve got to have her on the podcast! The mom of Sarah's stepkids is journalist and influencer Catt Sadler, and it’s amazing how they have navigated their situation. I can’t wai ..read more

It's a brand new year and we're back with all new episodes! Today, we’re talking about the new beginnings that come with a new year. To include word of the year. And resolutions. We’re talking about the differences between stepfamily life and first-family life and why they matter.   AND I’m going to fill you in on some big and exciting changes I’ve got going on for you.  The first one - and the biggest - is that This Custom Life has officially merged with Stepfamily Magazine! We have formed Stepfamily Solutions.  Stepfamily Solutions is the new home of The Stepmom Diaries p ..read more

Today I'm talking to Beth McDonough, my partner in Stepfamily Magazine, which includes the Stepmom Summit, the Stepfamily Circle Membership, and our upcoming Stepmom Retreat (we still have one spot for you if you're looking for a getaway!). In this episode, you'll get a sneak peek into how we work, as we shoot the breeze talking about all the things - especially what we'd go back and tell our younger selves as new stepmoms. About Beth: Beth McDonough is a badass stepmom coach and happens to be my business partner over at Stepfamily Magazine. We started our partnership when we co-founded The St ..read more